Wood: Is It What's For Dinner?

Wooden carcasses, former trees and ships, bring a rare commodity to the deep sea devoid of light and plants—food. Little is known about these ephemeral wood falls, the unique faunas on them, or the basics of their food web. By examining chemical fingerprints we can determine what each animal eats and whether it is predator or prey. This will yield a richer understanding of how land and oceans are linked in the global carbon cycle.

Budget

Stable Isotope Analyses

$3,630

Shipping

$370

Budget Overview

We plan to send samples to the Washington State Stable Isotope Core Facility for analysis of the stable isotopes. Each isotopic analyses for carbon:nitrogen costs $8.20 and for sulfur $16 per sample. At 5 samples for each of the 30 species equals $3, 630. An additional $370 is required for the shipping of the samples to Washington state. Funds beyond the $4,000 will allows us to deploy more wood falls!

Meet the Researcher

Duke University

Affiliations

National Evolutionary Synthesis Center and Duke University

Background

The work is in collaboration with Jim Barry (MBARI) and David Honig (Duke University).Craig McClain is the Assistant Director of Science for the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center at Duke University. He has conducted oceanographic research for 15 years and published over 40 papers in the area. He has participated in dozens of expeditions taking him to the Antarctic and the most remote regions of the Pacific and Atlantic. Craig’s research focuses mainly on marine systems and particularly the biology of body size, biodiversity, and energy flow in deep sea life. He founder and chief editor of Deep-Sea News, a popular ocean themed blog, rated the number one ocean blog on the web and winner of numerous awards. Craig’s popular writing has been featured in Science Illustrated, American Scientist, Wired, Mental Floss, and the Open Lab: The Best Science Writing on the Web. Read more a craigmcclain.com

Endorsed by

"Woodfalls" are a previously unappreciated yet globally significant link between the ecology of the land and that of...See more

"Woodfalls" are a previously unappreciated yet globally significant link between the ecology of the land and that of the deep ocean. This project will boost our understanding of some fundamental marine biology, and how changes in our use of land can have far-reaching and hidden consequences. This research team has the ideal background and track record to undertake this work, and I look forward to exciting results from the project, from the deep-sea creatures that feast on wood to what it means for the ecology of our world.

Craig's studies of the wood falls as oases of food in deep-sea ecosystems is both very interesting and important....See more

Craig's studies of the wood falls as oases of food in deep-sea ecosystems is both very interesting and important. Nearly all life in the deep-sea depends upon sinking organic debris from the surface (plankton, waste products, etc.) - wood can be an important food source, so long as you can digest it or cooperate or consume critters that can. Craig's work will help understand how and who consumes wood falls, and how these organisms may have evolved. Cool stuff! Craig is brilliant and works very hard. I have no doubt he'll be successful

This project is really interesting. We suspect that wood falls are an important source of nutrition to the deep sea,...See more

This project is really interesting. We suspect that wood falls are an important source of nutrition to the deep sea, but we don’t really understand which animals make first use of it, and how the energy they gain is transferred to other deep-sea animals via the food web. Understanding food webs is fundamental to understanding an ecosystem, and therefore to managing it effectively in the face of a changing climate. The research team have the expertise to succeed with this project, and will advance our knowledge of this last great wilderness.

Fund $10 and more Personalized e-mail thank-you. Quarterly updates with photographs on how the project is proceeding and what exactly your contributions are going towards. These updates will be received at every contribution level. Fund $25 and moreA custom designed Wood Fall sticker Fund $50 and more A Deep-Sea News Pirate Giant Squid Sticker (http://deepseanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/dsnbanner.jpg) to go with the Wood Fall Sticker Fund $100 and more An 8.5x11 print of wood fall creatures! Fund $250 and moreA small chunk of the bored wood from 3.5 kilometers deep! Fund $500 and more You will be acknowledged as a contributor in my manuscript/publication and will receive a signed copy. Fund $1,000 and more I will join you and friends (or a classroom of your choice) for Google+ hangout where you can ask me all about wood falls, oceans, and the life of a scientist. If my travel schedule brings me near your location, we can even do it in person! Stickers for everyone!

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